PASADENA – High school seniors Claudia Lima-Rocha and Breana Powell they knew they had the grades to get into college. But having enough money to foot their higher-education dreams was another issue.

The two, both of whom are scholar-athletes at John Muir High School, recently were notified that their four years of hard work and sacrifice were worth the late nights of studying for finals or cramming for the SATs.

The two were named Gates Millennium Scholars through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; the scholarship recognizes minority students who need extra financial assistance.

This is the second year Muir students have been recognized by the Gates Foundation. Jessica Murillo-Garcia was named a Gates Scholar in 2008.

“I was so relieved. I started crying when I got the letter,” said Lima-Rocha, who will attend UC Berkeley this fall. The 18-year-old is captain of the Muir soccer team and has a fondness for the Discovery Health channel. She will major in Biology and hopes to become a surgeon.

“Ever since I was a little girl, it was either a doctor or a teacher,” she said.

The scholarship comes at an opportune time. The youngest of three children, Lima-Rocha’s older brothers are both in college and her parents are footing their tuition bills.

“My parents said they would take out loans for me to go to Berkeley,” she said.

Future plans include attending medical school, which could be an out-of-state institution.

“If I can dream big I might go to New York for medical school,” she said.

The 17-year-old Powell, the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, the Blazer, will attend USC this fall to study creative writing and plans to become a screenwriter and filmmaker later.

The eldest of three children – her siblings are 10 and seven – Powell said she was shocked when she received the letter from the Gates Foundation. Without that assistance, she would have had to take out more loans or apply for other scholarships.

“It’s such a huge opportunity for me,” she said. “It’s such a relief.”

USC was her first choice since it fulfilled all of her expectations.

“It’s a good school, and it’s close to home so I could come and visit,” she said.

She hopes to keep writing.

“I definitely love character-driven stories, and I feel that I can meet new people at school and hopefully network as well,” she said.

Both students credit their experiences and their teachers at Muir for their success.

“I’m surrounded by the most amazing people, and I’ve met so many great people here,” Powell said. “The main thing is you can succeed anywhere as long as you are focused.”